TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Sebring Race Has Become A Family Tradition

ADVERTISEMENT

By BRAD DICKERSON

Highlands Today

Published: March 21, 2009

SEBRING Nothing, not even walking pneumonia, was going to keep John Dillashaw from making the annual 12 Hours of Sebring.

The year was 1993, and John, 51, was heading to Sebring International Raceway with his father, Edward. Prior to Race Week, the younger Dillashaw came down with pneumonia and was forced to go to the emergency room when his fever hit 105 degrees.

Illness or not, John and his father had a race to make.

"They wanted to keep me in. I said, 'I've got to go.' 'Why?' I said, 'I've got to get to the races,'" John said. "They got me out of the hospital two days before Sebring. I told doc, 'This is a tradition.'"

For the Dillashaw family of St. Petersburg, it is a tradition spanning four generations.

On Wednesday, the clan - John, wife Pat, son Ryan, daughter Ashley, son-in-law Jamie and granddaughters Taylor, Brianna and Christa - was busy making Turn 16 feel like home, complete with a camper, makeshift watchtower and racing-inspired video games.

The accommodations were a far cry from what John and Ryan had when they started coming. Sure, the two had a roof over their head, but it was a top covering the bed of a pickup truck.

If any sleep was gotten, it was on a mattress in the back of the truck.

"My wife wanted to come, so we had to upgrade to facilities because she doesn't want to come down just roughing it," John said.

Inside the camper is a chart with all the family member's names. Next to them is the number of years each person has been coming to the race. John is tops with 22.

Unfortunately, the eldest Dillashaw, Edward, died in 1998. His last race with his son was in 1993, the same year John refused to let a little thing like pneumonia keep him and his dad from enjoying their tradition.

The family also hopes their annual trek to the races will continue into a fifth generation. If Taylor's enthusiasm is any indication, they should feel safe in the knowledge that the excitement will be passed on to future great-grandchildren.

The 8-year-old has accompanied her family to Sebring for the last three years. Taylor's favorite part of Race Week? Everything.

"They run around and scream and nobody can hear them!" John said.

On Friday night, the grown-ups have a pastime they adhere to, and that's doing a "drive through the zoo."

"Friday night's the party night," John said.

Of course, one adult has to stay behind and take care of the young ones. John said he is usually the one who draws the short straw and gets that duty.

No matter what the future of the Dillashaw tradition is, John said Ryan, who has accompanied his father to the races for about 20 years, will be the one to keep it alive for as long as possible.

"My son will be coming down here, if he's got to jump on the back of somebody's truck and hitch a ride," John said. "The thing about Ryan was he would get more excited when Christmas came because he knew it was only two-and-a-half months to Sebring."

Highlands Today reporter Brad Dickerson can be reached at 863-386-5838 or bdickerson@highlandstoday.com

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT